On Stage

This is a mixed-rep ballet. Mixed-rep ballets are several unrelated short ballets with intermissions, similar to a collection of short stories.

Since graduating from Barnard College in 1963, Ms. Tharp has choreographed more than one hundred sixty works: one hundred twenty-nine dances, twelve television specials, six Hollywood movies, four full-length ballets, four Broadway shows and two figure skating routines.  She received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, nineteen honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President’s Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor.  Her many grants include the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship.  She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Ulysses Dove (1947—1996), born in Columbia, South Carolina, began dance study with Carolyn Tate while a pre-med student at Howard University. He transferred to the University of Wisconsin to study with Xenia Chlistowa of the Kirov Ballet, and in 1970 he graduated from Bennington College with a degree in dance. Upon moving to New York, Dove joined the Merce Cunningham company and also performed with Mary Anthony, Pearl Lang, and Anna Sokolow. In 1973 he joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where he quickly gained key roles and acclaim for his commanding presence, bright clarity of movement, and truthful dramatic intensity. Dove turned to choreography at Ailey’s urging, and created the 1980 solo Inside for Judith Jamison. He left the Ailey company that year to begin a significant freelance career choreographing dances for the Basel Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, London Festival Ballet, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, and the Choreographic Research Group of the Paris Opera where he spent three years as assistant director. He was also the choreographer for the Robert Wilson-Philip Glass opera ”The Civil Wars,” in 1986.  Several Dove ballets have found their definitive interpretations in performances by the Ailey company, including Night Shade (1982) Bad Blood (1984), Vespers (1986), and Episodes (1987). Dove’s Red Angels (1994) was a hit of the City Ballet’s Diamond Project and a companion piece Twilight (1994) was his final project. Mr. Dove’s work was the subject of ”Dance in America: Two by Dove,” an Emmy Award-winning 1995 show in the ”Great Performances” series. Dove died on June 11, 1996. His choreography was marked by its relentless speed, violent force, and daring eroticism.

JUSTIN PECK is a Tony Award winning choreographer, director, filmmaker, and dancer based in New York City.

He is currently the acting Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet.

After attending the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center from 2003-2006, Justin was invited to join the New York City Ballet as a dancer in 2006.  As a performer, Justin has danced a vast repertoire of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Benjamin Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, and many others.  In 2013, Justin was promoted to the rank of Soloist, performing full-time through 2019 with the company.

Justin has created over 50 dance-works — more than 20 for New York City Ballet.  His works have been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Australian Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Boston Ballet, Juilliard, National Ballet of Canada, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, LA Dance Project, Dutch National Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet Austin, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Bordeaux, Finnish National Ballet, BalletMet, Royal Danish Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, University of Southern California (USC), and Ballet Arizona.

Justin has worked extensively as a filmmaker. In particular, his focus has been exploring new innovative ways of presenting dance on film. Peck choreographed the feature films RED SPARROW (2016) starring Jennifer Lawrence and directed by Francis Lawrence; WEST SIDE STORY (2021) in collaboration with director Steven Spielberg; and MAESTRO (2022) in collaboration with director/actor/writer Bradley Cooper. Peck’s work as a director-choreographer for music videos include: THE DARK SIDE OF THE GYM (2017) for The National; THANK YOU, NEW YORK (2020) for Chris Thile; and THE TIMES ARE RACING (2017) for Dan Deacon. In 2018, Justin directed the New York Times GREAT PERFORMERS Series (starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Lakeith Stanfield, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Yoo Ah-in, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Regina Hall, Yalitzia Aparicio, Elsie Fischer, and Rachel Weisz).

Justin choreographed the 2018 BROADWAY revival of CAROUSEL.  The production was directed by Jack O’Brien and starred Jessie Meuller, Joshua Henry, & Renée Fleming.

Justin’s honors include: the National Arts Award (2018), the Golden Plate Honor from the Academy of Achievement (2019), the Bessie Award for his ballet RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES (2015), the Gross Family Prize for his ballet EVERYWHERE WE GO (2014), the World Choreography Award for WEST SIDE STORY (2022), and the Tony Award for his work on Broadway’s CAROUSEL (2018).